The effect of the Alexander Technique on pain intensity in patients with chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objective The present study was performed to determine the effect of the Alexander Technique on the intensity of pain in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). Methods This study is a clinical trial that was performed on 80 patients with chronic LBP in Kashan, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned in control and intervention groups. To assess the participants’ LBP, a visual analog scale of pain (VAS-Pain) was completed by both groups. In the intervention group, in addition to routine care for LBP patients, the Alexander Technique was performed in three 60-minute sessions per week for 12 weeks. The control group participants received routine care for LBP patients. The two groups completed the VAS-Pain scale immediately after and one month after the intervention. Results The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic characteristics and mean pain intensity score before the intervention (p > 0.05). Immediately after and then one month after the intervention, there was statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the mean scores of pain (p  Conclusion The results of the present study showed that the Alexander Technique was effective in reducing the intensity of pain among the participants. We recommend the Alexander Technique as a useful and effective intervention for reducing chronic LBP.